Kaleidoscope of Memories
by AML15
Summary: Tony Almeida's life throughout seasons 1-5 with a twist: he has a daughter - and it's not Michelle's.
1. I promise

**Author's note: This is an idea I had. It's Tony and Michelle's story with one major difference: Tony has a daughter. Let me know what you think. R&R!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own 24 or it's characters, only the OCs that I create**

**This first chapter takes place before Day 1. **

"I Promise"

**May 20, 2001**

He was a dad. It seemed unbelievable at first. He had never planned for this nor had he wished it to happen so soon. He wasn't sure he was ready, but ready or not, here he was with a tiny creature in his arms that was his own and all previous feelings on the subject vanished from thought. He'd never felt this before, this overwhelming love that swept through him when he first laid eyes on her. She was beautiful, perfect. All he could do was look at her in awe, this tiny baby girl, just hours old. He was a dad!

Wrapped in a blanket, snug in her father's arms, Ella Marie Jones-Almeida opened her eyes and locked onto Tony's. He wasn't thrilled about her double last name, but her mother had insisted on it and in a moment of anger, she had threatened to leave his name off completely so he had no choice but to agree. Ella wiggled an arm free and Tony reached for it, marveling at how tiny it was. Her hand grasped around Tony's finger and she held on.

"Hey, baby girl." Tony whispered. "I love you, Ella Marie."

"She's beautiful, isn't she?"

Tony's eyes broke off from Ella for a brief moment to share a look with Jordan. He had been so absorbed with his daughter, he had forgotten her presence. "Yeah, she's really beautiful, Jordan."

_**October 5, 2000**_

_Tony was surprised to get a call from Jordan. They hadn't been in contact since they broke off their relationship about seven weeks ago. So when she asked if she could stop by and see him, Tony had been too shocked to do anything but agree. He quickly tried to straighten up his apartment a bit before she arrived, but it was still messy when he heard a knock on the door. He answered it and there was Jordan Jones with an anxious smile. "Hi, Tony."_

_"Hey." It was an awkward exchange of greetings and then Tony invited her inside. _

_"How have you been, Jordan?" He asked. _

_"Oh, fine, I guess." She said. Tony knew her well enough to see that she was tense about something. "Look, there's something I came here to tell you and I don't really know how to say it. So I'm just going to say." If she didn't look so worried, Tony would have laughed. Jordan never sugar coated anything. She always just came right out with it, like she was about to do now. "I'm pregnant, Tony."_

_Jordan held her breath, waiting for him to respond. Tony was silent, still processing the information. When he finally spoke, "Wow", was all he could manage to say. "That's… that's huge." _

_"I'm keeping the baby." Jordan spoke in a rush. "I didn't come here to try and force you into anything. I'm fully capable of taking care of the baby by myself. I just thought you deserved to know." She stood there with a brave face on, but Tony knew she was scared, terrified even. She'd never admit it though. It was part of the reason they had broken up. Jordan never really opened up to Tony. She kept her heart deeply guarded. _

_"Well, that's all I came here to say." Jordan reached for her purse and started to walk out, but Tony grabbed her gently by the arm. _

_"Jordy," he said softly, using his old nickname for her. "Don't go yet. We should talk about this." _

_She turned to face him, her defenses still in place. "What is there to say?"_

_"Jordy, this baby is my responsibility, too. You don't have to do this all on your own." The tender sincerity in his voice brought tears to Jordan's eyes – tears she tried to hide, but Tony saw them anyway._

_"Come here." He reached for her, pulling her into a hug. "I'm here for and I'll be there for the baby. I promise."_

**May 20, 2001**

Tony gave Jordan a smile, recalling the road that had led both of them to this moment. They had tried to work things out between them after that night in October, but after a few weeks, they were back to fights and arguments that had split them up before and it was clear to them that their romantic involvement was over. The only thing that linked them together now was little Ella. And they were ok with that. In the last few months leading up to Ella's birth, Tony and Jordan had reached a comfortable spot in their mixed-up relationship. Now, they could enjoy a moment with the one thing that had brought about this friendship: their daughter.

Tony placed a kiss on the top of Ella's head. "I'll always be here to take care of you." He whispered low enough so Jordan couldn't hear. "I promise."

**Review! Review! Review! Let me know what you think!  
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	2. his whole world

"His Whole World"

**May 27, 2001**

Tony picked up his crying daughter and cradled her close. It was late at night and he had just ended his shift at CTU and gone over to Jordan's place. Jordan was asleep, thoroughly worn out from the day, so it was just him and Ella.

"Hey, sweetheart. It's ok. Daddy's here." Ella whimpered and began to quiet down. "That's my girl. I missed you today, Ella."

She let out a yawn and Tony couldn't help but smile at her. Jordan teased that Ella already had him wrapped around her baby finger and he didn't deny it. "Just wait until she's a teenager." Jordan would say. "She'll have you all figured out and know just what to say to get what she wants. You'll spoil her to death."

"I can't believe you're a week old today." Tony said in a whisper. He kept talking until Ella fell back to sleep, but even then, he stayed where he was, holding her sleeping form close to his heart.

**August 12, 2001**

"Jordan?" Tony called out as he entered her apartment.

"I'm in the kitchen." was her response. When he found her, she was all dressed up with Ella in one arm, putting things in the fringe with her free hand.

"Her bottles are in here. You know what time to feed her. Her blankie is in her crib with her favorite green bear. Oh, and –"

"Jordan, relax. I can handle it from here." Tony crossed the room and took three-month-old Ella into his arms. "We're going to be just fine. Go, have fun with your friends."

Emily smiled and visibly relaxed. "Ok, you're right. Thanks, Tony. I've been looking forward to a girls' night out for a while. Call me if anything comes up." She leaned in and kissed Ella's soft cheek. "Bye, honey-bun. Be good for daddy."

She said goodbye to Tony and rattled off a few last minute instructions as she headed out the door. When she was finally gone, Tony smiled down at his daughter and said; "It's just you and me, Ella-girl."

He played with her on the floor, getting many smiled and giggles out of her as a reward. An hour later, he grabbed her bottle out of he fridge and heated it up. Getting comfortable on the couch, he adjusted her in his arms and fed her the bottle.

"Guess what, Ella? There's a Cubs game on tonight." He looked down at her and saw her watching him intently. "We're going to watch it and I'll teach you all about baseball and the Cubs. And when you're older, I'll take you to a game, just the two of us."

When the game started, Tony talked the whole time, telling Ella everything she would need to know, but she wasn't watching the game. She kept her eyes glued to her daddy's face as she listened to his familiar, calming voice as he lulled her to sleep.

**September 5, 2001**

Tony heard his phone go off and picked it up on the third ring. "Almeida."

"Tony? This is Paul Vogel. How have you been?"

"Paul, I haven't heard from you in forever. I'm doing well. What about you?"

"I'm fine. I'm just calling because my wife and I just moved here to L.A. and I remembered that you lived out here. I figured we could grab a drink one night and catch up. Seems like forever since we were in the marines and I know my life's changed a whole lot since then. How about it?"

"Yeah. That's sounds great. How about some time next week?"

They worked out the details and then hung up. Tony leaned back in his desk chair and allowed memories from the past to resurface. Paul had been his best friend in the marines but they had lost touch after Tony started working at CTU. Now Paul was married and probably had kids, too. It would be good to catch up now that Paul was in L.A. for the time being.

**September 8, 2001**

"Tony, long time no see."

"Hey Paul."

The old friends greeted each other and ordered a beer from the bar.

"So what are you up to these days?"

"I'm still working at CTU. I'm third in command."

"Nice. Well, after I got out of the marines, I started working for a major corporation and now I'm running the L.A. branch."

"So you have a desk job now? That doesn't seem like the crazy Paul I used to know, always craving the action."

"Yeah, well, things change." He pulled a picture out of his wallet and showed it to Tony. "That's my wife Shannon and our three boys Justin, Derek, and Michael."

"Wow. Congratulations, man. That's great."

"I know. I'm a lucky man."

Tony reached into his wallet and pulled out a photo of his own. "This is Ella. She's almost four months old."

"She's beautiful. I'll have to have you over for dinner sometime so you can meet Shannon and the boys. You can bring Ella. My wife will go crazy over her."

"Sounds good to me. How old are your boys?"

"Justin is 7, Derek is 5, and Michael is 2."

They talked about their lives, their kids, and how things were different since the marines for nearly two hours before they parted. Tony arrived at his home that night and called Jordan about taking Ella for a bit since he had the day off tomorrow. His week at work had been busy and he hadn't seen her in a few days. He needed to see Ella and spend some time with her. The only thing that got him through crazy weeks like this one was knowing he would get to see Ella as soon as it was over.

**November 2, 2001**

Tony had been seeing Nina for several weeks now, but he had yet to tell her about Ella. It's not that he was ashamed of his daughter, he just wasn't sure if Nina was the type who would go for a single dad. Besides, he wasn't really sure if what he had going with Nina was anything serious. In any case, it was the first relationship he had been in since Jordan and he didn't want to screw it up by telling Nina about Ella too quickly.

**November 19, 2001**

Tony was physically and emotionally drained by the time he was able to go home. It was early in the morning, the day after the threats against Senator Palmer's life, the day after Teri Bauer was killed, and the day after Nina Myers was exposed as a trader and a murderer. How had he not realized who she was? He was her boyfriend. He had thought he was in love with her! Not once had he been suspicious of her being a mole. It had hurt him to find out the truth. It hurt him more than his pride would like to admit.

He swung by Jordan's, hoping she was already awake. She was surprised to see him standing at her door so early, but she let him in anyway.

"Rough night?" She asked.

"You have no idea."

"Would you like a cup of coffee?"

"Please."

They sat at the kitchen table making small talk. For Tony, it was a welcome distraction. The last thing he wanted to think about was Nina and unless he had something else to concentrate on, his thoughts would go back to her. After a while, they heard Ella's cries from the other room. Jordan started to stand but Tony stopped her.

"Let me get her." He insisted. Going into the bedroom, he picked up his six-month-old and tried to calm her down. As he did, he thought about Jack Bauer and all he did to keep his wife and daughter safe. If Tony had been in the same situation with Ella, he would have taken the same drastic measures. He couldn't imagine loosing her. Right now, Ella was his whole world.


	3. Michelle

"Michelle"

**May 20, 2002**

It was Ella's first birthday. Tony couldn't believe how fast the day had come. He headed up to Jordan's apartment for the little birthday party Jordan had arranged. There weren't too many people there, just Jordan's family and some of her friends who had kids. Shannon Vogel was there with her three boys. Tony had invited them. Paul had been unable to make it though. The party had been a nice time. Ella was covered in cake and frosting by the time everyone had finished dessert. It was later in the day, after everyone had gone home, that Tony began to think seriously about his life. Work and Ella. That's all his life consisted of. And he didn't even see Ella all that much these days. He needed to start dating again. He was over Nina, but he hadn't felt comfortable putting himself back out there again. It was time. He needed to move on with his life.

Ella toddled over to him and steadied herself against his leg. He picked her up and tossed her in the air. He caught her and she burst into a fit of giggles. He planted a kiss on her cheek and tossed her up again. Ella's giggles were contagious and soon they were both laughing.

**December 13, 2002**

"Tony." It was George Mason calling him. Tony stifled a groan. "Jason's replacement is here. Why don't you bring her up to speed on what's going on today and get her all set."

"Fine." Tony replied. Michelle Dessler was here. Tony had interviewed her for the job a week ago. She seemed highly qualified for the job, but Tony had enough work to do today without showing her the ropes.

"Good. She's clearing security right now."

Tony glanced towards the entrance and saw her coming in. He couldn't help but stare. She looked beautiful. _Focus, Almeida! The last thing you need is another relationship in the workplace. _He got up and walked towards her.

"Welcome, Miss Dessler." Tony extended his hand. She shook it gently.

"Thank you, and call me Michelle." She smiled and it melted away Tony's annoyance. He smiled back.

"If you'll come with me, I'll show you where you can set up you're desk"

**February 26, 2003**

"Michelle, do you have those files I asked for?" Tony stopped by her desk on his way to speak with George.

"Yeah, there right here." She said, handing them to him.

"Thanks." He said, but his tone was anything but thankful.

"Something wrong?" She asked, wondering if she had done anything to piss him off.

"My mother is coming into town for the weekend." He grumbled. Michelle hadn't been expecting this to be his answer. She tried to cover her laugh, but he saw it.

"You laugh, but you've never met her." He said. "She makes it very clear every time she sees me how much she hates what I do for a living."

"What did she want you to do for a living?"

"A doctor or a lawyer. Some renowned profession" Tony shuddered. "Could you imagine me as a lawyer?" Michelle had to laugh at this. She couldn't imagine Tony as anything other than an agent.

"I'm sorry. If it makes you feel any better, any time my folks are in town, my mom goes on and on about how great my brother is and how I should be more like him."

"How so?"

"He's married and has two kids already."

"Ah, I see."

The phone went off and it was George. "I wanted you in my office five minutes ago, Tony."

"Yeah, I'm on my way." He hung up and shot a look to Michelle. "I better go."

"Have fun this weekend." She teased.

"I'm telling you, if you knew her, you wouldn't give me such a hard time."

He walked away, smiling all the way up to George's office. Michelle had become a good friend. He just had to be careful she didn't become more than that. After all, a relationship at CTU could hardly be expected to last.

**May 8, 2003**

"Tony, can you watch Ella this Friday night?" Jordan had called him just as he was getting off work.

"Um, no, I actually have plans."

"Really? Are you going to Paul's?" It was moments like this that Tony hated how nosy Jordan was.

"I, uh, have a date."

"With who?" Jordan suddenly got excited.

"You don't know her."

"Fine, don't give me any details. Well, I'll call a babysitter Friday night so don't worry about Ella. Enjoy your date!"

Tony hung up and sighed. He knew Jordan would press him for more information next time he saw her. Friday was two days away and he was already getting nervous. He and Michelle had agreed to go out if they made it through that traumatic day last week and they had. They had set up their first date for this coming Friday. He was starting to freak out about how to tell her about Ella. Should he do that on the first date? Would that be too much? If he waited, would she feel like he had been trying to hide this from her? At which point should he tell her? He rubbed the back of his neck and decided to worry about this later.

**May 10, 2003**

Friday had arrived. Going to work had been torture for both Tony and Michelle as they anticipated what would come later. The entire day was filled with stolen glances and secret smiles. "I can hardly wait until dinner." Michelle whispered to Tony while they worked. It was almost time for them to get off work when George came down from his office with bad news. "I'm afraid there's been a bomb threat." He said when he had everyone's attention. He went into details of the probable target zone, who the suspects were, and what everyone's tasks were to find this bomb. Tony and Michelle locked eyes, sharing a knowing look that they couldn't possibly leave at this moment.

"You never know." Tony said quietly. "We could find the bomb in the next half hour and still be able to make dinner."

Michelle laughed, but shook her head. "Or we could just reschedule."

They threw themselves into their work for the next three hours. Everyone had their focus on finding the bomb before it went off. "We've got a possible location." George announced. "We're sending Jack's team in there now."

An hour later, the bomb was found and deactivated, the suspect was apprehended, and everyone finished their debriefs. Tony walked over to Michelle's desk as she was grabbing her purse. "Still up for dinner?" He grinned. She glanced at her watch.

"It's ten o'clock."

"I know. I bet your starving because no one here has had a chance to eat anything for the past four hours. Come on, let's grab some food."

Michelle hesitated for a moment. Finally she smiled and agreed. "Ok, I don't know _where_ we'll find a place to eat at this hour, but it's worth a try."

"How's your food?" Tony asked.

"It may be because I'm starving, but this taste like the best Chinese food I've ever had." Michelle smiled. "And I never would have guessed it would come from this place."

They had driven around for 45 minutes before coming to this small Chinese restaurant hidden in a strip mall. It was one of the few places still open aside from all the fast-food restaurants. It was certainly not the most romantic place for a first date, but Michelle found herself enjoying herself anyway. Tony silently vowed he would take her to the best restaurant he could for their second date.

They sat in their booth for hours just talking. They each had so much to say that they hadn't had the time to talk about at work. The conversation was always flowing, but there were several times when Tony almost mentioned Ella. It was hard to talk about his life and not bring her up. She was a big part of it. It was at that moment Tony realized that he should tell Michelle that night. If this relationship was going to go anywhere, she had to know the truth from the beginning. It was only fair.

"Listen, Michelle, there's something about me that you should know." Tony began. Michelle suddenly got worried.

"What is it? Oh no, are you married?"

"No! No, no, no, I'm not married." He flashed her a nervous grin. "Sorry, I shouldn't have led with that. I just… wanted to tell you about… my daughter." Tony watched Michelle reaction closely. She leaned forward a little as if she had heard wrong.

"You… what?"

"I have a little girl."

Michelle's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open a little. "Wow. I had no idea." There was a brief moment of silence. Tony wanted to let the news sink in. After what seemed like an eternity to him, Michelle looked him in the eye and he could see no sign of her wanting to bolt from the table and leave him all alone. "What's her name?"

Tony smiled with relief and pulled a recent photo out of his wallet. "Ella. Her birthday is in a week and a half and she'll be two…."

**ok what did you think? And coming up in the next chapter... Michelle meets Ella!!**


	4. The Meeting

"The Meeting"

**May 17, 2003 **

Michelle was so glad it was Friday. She had the weekend off again and fully intended to make the most of it and enjoy herself. She needed a day just to relax after the long week. Michelle glanced over at Tony working across the room. They hadn't really talked about his daughter since the first date. She wasn't sure she was ready to meet his kid. When he had first told her about Ella, she could hardly believe it, but Tony was one of the best guys she'd ever met and she didn't want to dismiss the possibility of them having a good thing together based on the fact that he had a kid. Besides, it wasn't like she hated children. She had a niece and a nephew and she loved spending time with them. However, this was a little different. What Ella got attached to her and then things didn't work out between her and Tony? That would be a horrible experience for a little girl. Or what if things were great between her and Tony and Ella hated her? Michelle's head was spinning with thoughts and scenarios of how all of this could turn out. She needed this weekend to figure out her feelings. Right now she needed to focus on work, which she hadn't been able to fully do all week.

**May 18, 2003**

"Daddy!" Tony heard Ella's sweet little voice before he saw her run through the door. He scooped her up and planted a kiss on her cheek.

"Hi, Baby." It was Saturday morning and Tony would have Ella until Sunday night. He had to work on her birthday so he was celebrating with her all weekend.

Jordan walked in after Ella and held up a backpack. "All her clothes and things are in here." She set it down on Tony's couch. "Ok, munchkin. Come give mommy a hug goodbye."

Ella ran to her in quick, little steps and wrapped her arms around Jordan's neck.

"Love you, munchkin. Be good."

When Jordan was gone, Tony squatted down so that he was eye level with Ella. "Are you ready to have fun this weekend?" Ella nodded her head, her big brown eyes wide with excitement.

"Good, because Daddy's taking you to the zoo!"

Michelle had Friday and most of Saturday to think things over. No matter what reasons she came up with for ending their relationship, she kept coming back to the fact that she just wanted to be with Tony. The least she could do was give this thing a shot. When she came to this conclusion, Michelle wanted more than anything to see Tony. Acting impulsively, she grabbed her car keys and decided to drive to his place and surprise him. She knew his address. She had sneaked a peek at his file once.

Ella was exhausted. Tony was glad because it meant she would go down for bed easy tonight. He was just finishing cleaning up dinner when he heard a knock on his door. He checked on Ella, who was playing with toys by the couch while one of her shows was on TV. "Stay right there, Babe."

He looked to see who was out there before he opened the door and to his great surprise, he saw Michelle standing there. He opened the door just wide enough for her to see him, but not past him.

"Hi, Michelle. This is a nice surprise."

"Hi, Tony. Can I come in? I wanted to talk to you."

"Well, um, I'm kinda busy right now."

As if on cue, Ella squeezed herself passed Tony and smiled up at Michelle. Tony picked her up and shifted her over to one arm. "Still want to come in?" He asked.

"Yes."

Tony opened the door wider and let her in. He looked at Ella and made the introductions. "Ella, this is Daddy's friend, Michelle. Michelle, this is my daughter."

"Hi, Ella." Michelle studied the little girl. She looked like Tony. Ella had his eyes and his dark hair, but she had dimples when she smiled that must have come from her mother.

Ella, overcome with a sudden shyness, just smiled and laid her head on Tony's shoulder.

"Do you want something to drink?" Tony offered.

"Sure. Just water would be fine."

"Ok, coming right up." Tony put Ella down where she had been playing earlier and then moved into the kitchen. "Make yourself at home." He said, trying hard to figure out just what had brought Michelle to his doorstep.

Michelle took a seat on the couch near Ella and watched her play. Ella picked up some of her toys and brought it over to Michelle.

"Yook." Ella said in her sweet voice. Her L's were a little hard to say and Michelle found it adorable. Ella held up a stuffed animal that Tony had bought her at the zoo today.

"Wow. What kind of animal is that?" Michelle asked, knowing exactly what it was but wanting to hear it from Ella.

"A Yion." Ella smiled and her dimples appeared. She suddenly let out a big roar and had both of them laughing.

In the kitchen, Tony poured a glass of water for Michelle and a juice cup for Ella before getting himself a drink. In the other room, he heard Michelle and Ella laughing together and he couldn't help but notice how well the two sounds mixed. It was a sound he could listen to forever and never get tired of. He grabbed the three drinks and went into the living room. The sight he found brought a smile to his lips.

Ella had coaxed her way into Michelle's arms and there they sat looking like they'd known each other forever. Tony noticed Ella's droopy eye lids and knew it was only a matter of minutes before she was out. The excitement of meeting a new friend had wound her up for a bit, but she was winding down even faster. He offered to take her off Michelle's hands, but she declined. "I don't mind holding her for a little bit

"So Michelle," Tony began, finally voicing his burning question. "What brought you here tonight? You said you wanted to talk about something."

"Yes," Michelle glanced down at Ella, but she was too tired to be paying much attention. "It's about us, Tony."

Tony nodded slowly, trying to cover the instant fear that leapt into his heart. "Ok."

"Well, when you told me about Ella, I was pretty shocked at first. After the shock went away, I started thinking."

"This doesn't sound good." Tony said, wondering if she had the nerve to break up with him while she held his child.

"Please, Tony, just let me get this all out." Michelle begged. "At first, I was scared of what this would all mean. A child makes everything complicated. I wasn't sure I could handle that. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I want you in my life. No matter what." She paused and searched Tony's eyes. She found all the longing she felt was there in him too. He leaned forward and placed a hand on her shoulder, pulling her closer to him. He kissed her lips gently. Michelle framed his face with one hand and deepened the kiss. Tony pulled away and laughed a little. "I'm going to put Ella to bed now."

Michelle looked down at the sleeping child in her lap one last time before Tony carried her off into one of the bedrooms. He returned in a few minutes and took his place next to her on the couch.

"She's beautiful, Tony. And very sweet." Michelle couldn't believe how taken she was with Ella after only a short time.

"Yeah, I think I'll keep her around for a little while." He joked lightheartedly. It felt so good to have Michelle here with him. It felt even better to see her and Ella getting along so well. "Now, where were we?" He smiled and leaned in to kiss her again.

**May 19, 2003 **

Tony lifted Ella out of her car seat and walked up the sidewalk to the Vogel's house. Shannon answered the door with four-year-old Michael at her heels.

"Hey Tony."

"Hey Shannon. Thanks for taking Ella last minute. I really appreciate it. There's some emergency at work."

"It's no problem. We love having her here." Shannon reached out and snatched Ella from Tony. "It's nice to have another girl around."

"I don't know how long this will take, but if I have to be there later than eight, Jordan will come and get her when she gets back into town tonight." Tony explained. Shannon could hear the obvious frustration. He had expressed once to her and Paul how much he hated when his job took him away from time with Ella. This wasn't the first weekend with her that had been ruined.

"Alright, I need to go." He kissed Ella's cheek. "Bye, Baby."

That night, Tony got off at 6:30 and made his way over to Paul and Shannon's. Ella and Michael were in the backyard playing on the swing set when Tony arrived.

"They look like they're having fun." Tony commented to his friends.

"They had a blast today. We were glad to have her for the afternoon." Shannon smiled. She was a saint, Tony had to admit.

"Since you have some time, Tony, how about a game of pool?" Paul asked.

"Some other time, Paul. I really should be going. Ella's had a busy weekend. Thanks again, guys."

"No problem. Drop her off any time." Paul offered.

Tony grabbed Ella and they headed back to his place. Ella was worn out from the two full days of activity and fell asleep in the car. Tony glanced at her through the rearview mirror and saw her cashed out in her seat, her head drooping off to one side. She would be two years old tomorrow. That meant she wouldn't really be considered a baby anymore. Two meant a toddler. Ella was growing up too fast. It didn't seem like it was two years ago that he had first held her, all tiny and new. Looking at her now, she had grown so much and was starting to lose her baby looks. Yes, she definitely looked like a toddler and she was starting to talk in small sentences and use more words. Although Tony hated the thought, he had come to terms with the fact that his baby wasn't a baby anymore.

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Please review!! **


	5. Following Her Heart

**Hey all! Sorry, i know I took a long time to update but I was working on some other stories at the time. Thanks for those of you who left reviews! here is the next chapter! Enjoy!**

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"following her heart"

**August 2, 2003**

"Daddy, come find me." Ella called from her bedroom. Tony had been busy working on something on his laptop, but he stood up and went into her room. He heard a giggle and knew exactly where she was, but he played along for a while for her sake.

"Where are you?" He called out. There was another giggle, but he ignored. "Are you in… the closet?" He hastily pulled open the door and then pretended to be disappointed at his findings. "Nope. Are you under the blankets?" He threw the covers off the bed and Ella laughed louder.

"I heard you!" Are you… under the bed?" He dropped down and found Ella on her stomach, elbow's propped up with her head in her hands, giggling like crazy. "I found you!"

Ella crawled out from under the bed. "I'm a good hider, Daddy."

"Yes, you are!" Tony smiled.

"Find me again!" She pushed at him, trying to get him to move out of the room, but she was too tiny to make much of an impact. He got up on his own and left, counting as he went. He played a few more rounds with her, finding her under the bed every time, but never letting on that he knew where she was. Finally the phone ringing gave him a welcome break from the game.

"Hello?" He answered.

"Tony, it's Jack."

Tony's heart sank. "Do you need me to come into CTU tonight?"

"Yes, probably just for a few hours, but I can't guarantee it."

"Alright." Tony sighed. "I'll be over in about half an hour."

"Thanks, Tony."

"Wait, Jack, uh is Michelle working tonight?" Tony tried to sound as casual as possible. Nobody knew they were dating. Not yet.

"No, she's not. Is that all?"

"Yeah. Thanks."

Tony hung up the phone. Ella would be going to bed in a few hours so it wasn't like he was missing that much time with her. Still, he liked to be there to put her to sleep when he could and any time with Ella was a highlight for him. Even if it was a redundant game of hide-and-seek, it was worth it to see her smile and giggle.

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"When do I get to meet this boyfriend of yours?"

"I don't know, Mom." Michelle tried not to sound too irritated, but ever since her mom had found out about Tony, she'd been asking questions and making very obvious suggestions about wanting more grandchildren.

"Well it sounds as if things are getting serious. Not to mention you haven't been home in a while."

Michelle massaged her temples and spoke slowly to control her tone of voice. "I've been very busy lately."

"With the boyfriend?" was her mom's sly remark.

"Mom!" Michelle didn't like what her mother was insinuating. She heard the phone beep, telling her she had another call coming in. "I got to go, Mom. I have someone on the other line."

"Tell the boyfriend I said 'hi'"

_Yeah right_, thought Michelle. "Bye Mom!" She hit the call waiting button. "Hello?"

"Michelle, it's me." said the familiar voice she loved.

"Hey Tony." She smiled and Tony could hear the change in her tone.

"Listen, I have a huge favor to ask you." He said cautiously.

"What is it?"

"I just got called in to CTU and I've got Ella for the next few days while Jordan is getting over the flu. I can't drop her off at Paul's because they are on vacation. I –"

"I'll watch her." Michelle interjected before he could ask.

"Really?" He was surprised she was so willing. She had spent time with Ella, of course, but he had never asked her to watch her before by herself. He didn't think she wasn't up to the task, but they had only been dating for a few months and it seemed like a lot to ask.

"Yes, of course." Michelle reassured him. Despite this, her stomach was twisting into knots. This was Tony's daughter. What if she screwed up and something happened?

"Thanks, Michelle. This means a lot to me."

"It's no big deal." She hoped Tony couldn't hear how nervous she felt on the inside.

Michelle knocked on the door, burying her nerves deep down. She took a deep breath. She could do this. Tony opened the door and smiled. God, she loved that smile. It still made her go week in the knees and for the moment, it made her forgot any of her previous thoughts.

"Hey you." Tony said, pulling her into his arms and pressing his lips to hers.

Michelle felt little hands grab at her legs and she pulled away from Tony to find Ella at her side.

"Boo!" She said with a smile on her face and dimples appearing.

"Hi, Ella!" Michelle reached for the little girl and swung her up onto her hip.

"She hasn't eaten dinner yet. I was going to make her some mac-n-cheese, but I didn't have time. So the box is on the counter. You can make that in a bit. Her bed time is seven and she'll need her blankie and a sippy cup filled with water. Any questions?"

"Nope."

"Ok, I gotta run. Bye." He leaned and kissed her goodbye. "Night, Baby. Be good for Michelle." He pressed a kiss to Ella's cheek and she wrapped her arms around his neck for a quick hug. She wasn't an especially clinging child, but she had her moments. Luckily, tonight wasn't one of them.

When Tony was gone it was just Michelle and Ella. Michelle felt her fears rising to the surface. _Calm down, Michelle. _She told herself. _All you have to do is feed her, play with her, and put her to be. How bad can it be?_

"I'm hungry." Ella whined while Michelle checked on the pot of noodles.

"Just a few more minutes, Ella." Michelle promised. "Hey, why don't we play a game while we wait?"

"Hide and seek?" Ella asked with a huge smile. Michelle recalled something Tony told her before he left. _Don't let her start hide and seek. It'll never end, He teased._

"Sure." Michelle agreed. She couldn't say no. Not to that sweet little face.

Ella scurried off into her room and crawled under the bed. "Ok come find me!"

They played a few rounds and it wasn't until fifteen minutes later that Michelle remembered the pot of noodles. She ran to the kitchen stove and tried to stir the pot but all the noodles were clumped together. She got them to break apart and tasted one. They were a little tough, but they were still good, right? She turned the heat off, drained the water and added the cheese. She made a face when she saw it was the powder kind.

"Why did you make a silly face?" Ella asked, giggling a little.

"No reason." Michelle made another one to get a laugh out of Ella then went for the milk and cheese. She couldn't find any measuring cups for the milk so she just guessed and then did the same for the butter, forgetting that there were measurements on the wrapper. She mixed it all and served it to Ella.

"Here you go, Peanut." Michelle placed the bowl of it at the table and Ella scrambled up onto the chair. She took one bite and spit it back into the bowl.

"It tastes yucky." Ella informed her. Michelle groaned. How in the world could she screw up mac-n-cheese?

"I'm sorry, Peanut." Michelle skimmed through the fridge and cabinets, trying to find something else for the poor child's dinner. "Do you want some cereal?"

Ella nodded eagerly. "Yummy!"

Michelle poured her a bowl, dreading having to tell Tony about her embarrassing mistake. She was sure she would never hear the end of it.

* * *

"One more story? Please?" Ella begged. Michelle smiled and caved.

"Ok, one more, but that's it." She reached for another story book and Ella snuggled in closer for the final bedtime story. Michelle began to read out loud and noticed Ella's eyes getting droopy. By the end of the story, she was out. Michelle put the books on the nightstand but didn't get up right away. Ella's little body was cuddled up close to hers and she didn't want to move and wake her. Plus, Michelle had a soft spot for the girl and she didn't mind staying with her for a bit longer. She ran her hand through Ella's long, curly, black hair. She looked so much like Tony. Michelle had never met Ella's mother but from the looks of it, Ella took mostly after her dad.

Michelle placed a kiss on Ella's forehead and then carefully slid off the bed and left the room. She hadn't realized how quickly she would fall in love with Ella. With men, Michelle always had her guard up until she felt she knew them well enough to trust them with her heart. Ella had taken her a bit by surprised. Michelle loved her niece and nephew, but they were family. She never thought she could love a child that didn't belong to her in some way. Ella had quickly captured her heart, though. Michelle would do anything for that girl. This meant that it further complicated things with Tony, should things not work out on the long run.

* * *

"Michelle?" Tony called when he entered his apartment.

"In here." Michelle called form the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" He asked when he saw her cleaning off some dishes. "You don't have to clean up. I can do that."

"No, it's fine. I sort of… well, I… I ruined Ella's dinner so I thought the least I could do was clean it up."

Tony pause for a moment, his eye fixed on her with an unreadable expression ad she wished she knew what he was thinking. After a little while, he cracked a small smile.

"You messed up mac-n-cheese?" He asked in amazement.

"I know. I don't what I was thinking."

"It's like the easiest meal to make on the planet." He teased her further.

"Shut up!" Michelle said in mock outrage. She threw a dishrag at him for good measure.

"Hey!" He grabbed her and pulled her closer. "You better stop that or you'll be sorry."

"Oh yeah?" She challenged him, her heart beating a little faster at the nearness of him.

"Yeah." He promised, capturing her lips with a heated kiss.

Michelle's head was warning her not to fall for this guy too fast, while her heart told her to throw her cautions to the wind. For once, Michelle decided to follow her heart. Life wasn't worth living if you didn't make room for love. Tony seemed like the kind of guy she could see herself loving. Only time would tell how this as going to turn out.

* * *

**Please review!**


	6. Author's note

To my readers,

I'm sorry for such a long break from the story. It's been one distraction after another and right now I don't have a computer of my own since mine died and I lost all my files. So now I will have to start from scratch with the next updates, which were almost done I'm sad to say. I hate to make you wait even longer but wanted to let you know that I haven't abandoned the story and will be back to it as soon as possible. Thank you.


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